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eptember IS marks the
J beginning of Hispanic
Heritage Month and “el
D(a de la Independencia" or
Independence Day. During this
weekend several Latin American
countries —Mexico, Guatemala,
Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica,
and Nicaragua among others—as
well as many Hispanic communities
in the U.S come alive with the sights
and sounds of the celebration of
freedom Generations of families
gather to celebrate and share their
favorite traditional dishes and
customs in an age-old cultural
experience
Although each country has its own
unique traditions and foods, they all
share similar attitudes the importance
of the family gathering, the intricacies
and dedication to the preparation of
the meal, and the attention to the
details of the celebration. Another
shared characteristic is the use of
com masa in traditional recipes,
which date back to pre-Colombian
times and have been handed down
from generation to generation. When
preparing delicious tortillas from
scratch, traditional tamales or the
incomparable pupusas, today’s
generation has the advantage of the
availability ol corn masa flour This
helps eliminate the difficult task of
making the corn masa from scratch
So, as ingredients are picked
carefully and meats are slow-cooked
to perlection, the anticipation builds
tor the feast to begin.
Today, we can all share these
flavortul recipes as old as history, yet
still alive and full of ceremony Here
they are to enjoy during this Hispanic
Heritage Month and throughout the
year. Independence never tasted so
good!
*r*su
tyit /
In keeping with a desire for
lighter fare, these Nicaraguan
tamales eliminate the lard and add
more vegetables, but the traditional
flavors remain. These tamales are
wrapped in banana leaves to give a
subtle but distinctive flavor to the
tamale dough, which is always best
when prepared from scratch with
high quality com masa flour.
One 3 1/2-4 (three and a half
to four) pound chicken, cut
in quarters
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
1/2 teaspwm dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
For the tamale dough
41/2 cups com masa flour '
1 teaspoon sattfrjptjoftal)
2 112 cups mashed pdiatdes
5-7 cups water or chicken
broth r , ~ ‘
For the filling, t
1 cup cooked jce .; y*
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' ■ ViSSW
J , can (8 ounces) " '
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Place the chicken parts in » ' ’
heavy casserole «dadd MStilfatfc,
pepper, thyme, r«»iB«y t camin ~
powder and coriander. Add enott|h
vaiertooovcrby
ing to a boil, skim. *>• down
/
Tamal Liviano (Light tamale)
To make tamale dough, place the
Maseca masa flour, salt and
mashed potatoes in the bowl of an
electric mixer equipped with a
dough hook. Mix masa flour and
mashed potatoes. Measure 7 cups
of the chicken’s cooking liquid,
adding water if necessary.
Gradually add the liquid to form a
soft, pliable dough. Or place the
masa flour and mashed potatoes in
a large bowl, gradually add water
and mix with a wooden spoon.
IXIIII on to a floured counter and
knead by band for about 2 minutes.
To assemble:
20 banana leaves or aluminum
foil
Heavy string
Pat all
and
, I,
Tamal Azteca
(Aztec tamale)
This dish is something like a Mexican
lasagna, using homemade tortillas for the
layers instead of pasta. The filling in
between the layers can vary, but nothing can
substitute the taste and freshness of
homemade tortillas' Use individual
cazuelitas or oven proof dishes for a
beautiful presentation a
16 homemade 4-mch tortillas
made with Maseca
1/4 cup com oil (divided use)
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and
chopped (discard skins)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
3 small zucchtms, diced
2 cups com kernels, drained
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1 cupoemaMexicanaorsourcream
2 roasted Poblano chiles,
peeled, stems removed,
cut into strips
1 I/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese,
shredded
To make the tortillas, follow the
directions on the Maseca package, stack,
and cover with a cloth napkin until ready
to assemble tamal
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil m a skillet
and saute the onion until translucent Add
garlic, tomato, and salt Cook on low heat
for about 10 minutes or until tomato
sauce thickens slightly, stirring often
Reserve
Preheat the oven to 350° F
In a small casserole, heat the butter
Add zucchini and com, stir to coat Add 2
tablespoons water and simmer for about
10 minutes or until zucchini is tender
Reserve
In another skillet, heat the rest of the
011 and fry tortillas on both sides To
assemble, place a tortilla at the bottom of
each cazuehta or individual casserole,
moisten with the tomato sauce, and layer
chicken, vegetables, crema, chiles and
cheese. Repeat layers and finish with a
tortilla and a sprinkling of cheese Place
the casseroles or dishes on a cookie sheet
on the middle rack of the oven and cook
until cheese melts, about 15 minutes
Yield 4 individual tamales
Pupusas
Fupusas are a Salvadorian specialty,
something like a filled tortilla They are
served as a mam dish or snack accompanied
by the encurtido, fresh slightly pickled
vegetables Pupusa fillings are varied and
can be made as hot as you wish by adjusting
iano wrapped, ai
the amount of hot chile peppers used The
essential ingredient of a good pupusa is the
masa flour
For the dough
4 1/2 cups Maseca Com Masa Hour
1 teaspoon salt
5-6 cups of water
For the filling
1 small onion, diced
1 npe tomato, seeded and diced
I jalapeno, seeded and stemmed
1/2 pound cooked pork nnd,
(chicharron) roughly diced
I can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed
and well drained
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese,
grated
For the dough
Place the masa flour and salt in the
bowl of an electric mixer equipped with a
dough hook, gradually add water to form
a soft, pliable dough that will not stick to
your hands Or place the masa flour in a
large bowl, gradually add water and mix
with a wooden spoon Turn on to a floured
counter and knead by hand for about 2
minutes Lightly cover and allow to rest
while making the filling
For the filling:
Place onion, tomato, jalapeno and
chicharrdn in a food processor and pulse
until smooth Transfer to a bowl, add
drained black beans and grated cheese
Stir with wooden spoon to mix well
Form 2-inch balls with the masa
dough To fill, place the ball m the palm
of your hand and make an indentation at
the center of the ball Place 1-2 teaspoons
of filling in the center and work the edges
of the dough to seal The filling should
not touch the edges or the dough will not
stick to itself Ratten between your hands
to form a 1/4-inch thick tortilla Repeat
until all dough and filling are used
To cook
Lightly oil a comal, gnddle, or heavy
skillet Cook pupusas on low heat about
2-3 minutes on each side or until golden
and slightly puffy Yields 36 pupusas
Serve with traditional Salvadorian
encurtido
Encurtido
1 medium cabbage, thinly shredded
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and stemmed
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 cups white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Place all ingredients in a large glass bowl,
stir to mix Let stand about 1 hour before
serving for flavors to blend
Yield 36 pupusas
ml Liviano